Dynamic drain barrier



Aug. Z8, i956 H. M. RUMBAUGH DYNAMIC DRAIN BARRIER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 9, 1953 INVENTOR. Bri/UGH we. RUMBAUGH ii 9% ATTYS.

Aug. 28, i956 H. M. RU-MBAUGH 2,760,505

DYNAMIC DRAIN BARRIER Filed Feb. 9, 1953 2 Sheets-SheewI 2 IN V EN TOR.

HUGH M. RUMBAUGH BY FIG. 2 afm/LM ATTYS.

United States Patent DYNAMIC DRAIN BARRIER Hugh M. Rumbaugh, Bath, Ohio Application February 9, 1953, Serial No. 335,916

2 Claims. (Cl. 134-186) The present invention relates to impeller type washers in which a supply of wash or rinse water is retained in a washing chamber to be spattered, thrown or otherwise distributed within the chamber by a rotating impeller, the water being thereafter automatically drained from the chamber at the conclusion of the washing or rinsing operation.

Heretofore, impeller type washers have generally been provided with relatively costly automatic drain valves such as solenoid-operated valves designed to be actuated at the proper moment by timing switches or other suitable automatic control means.

I have provided a washer which entirely eliminates the need for the costly automatic valves heretofore used and which does away with timing switch circuits or similar control devices. In my invention, primary parts of the washer themselves cooperate in such a way that retention and drainage of the water in properly timed sequence is inherent in the very continuance or cessation of the washing or rinsing operations.

These and other advantages of my invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a front view, partially broken away and partially in section of an impeller type dishwasher embodying my invention,

Figure 2 is a cross sectional side elevation of the washer shown in Figure l.

As illustrated in the iigures, my invention may be embodied in a dishwasher having a washing chamber which is mounted within an outer housing 11. Access to the chamber is through the door 12 hinged to the outer casing 11. The chamber is suitably vented as at 13 and is supplied with wash or rinse water through an inlet line 14. Intake of water through the line 14 is controlled by suitable means (not shown) so as to occur at the proper times during the cycle of operation of the dishwasher. An outlet line 21 leads from drain outlet 20 to any suitable drain connection (not shown).

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the dishwasher impeller means comprises a smooth roll 30 extending transversely from the front to the rear wall of the washing chamber 10. The roll is xed to a roll shaft 31 which is suitably mounted for rotation within the washing chamber. The rear end of the shaft 31 extends through 'the rear wall of the washing chamber and is driven by the motor 32 through the belt 33 and the pulleys 34. An array of ware racks 37 is provided within the chamber 10 and is adapted to position ware around the impeller roll 30 for effective scouring of the ware by wash water and rinse water thrown from the roll.

A plurality of paddles 40 are axed to the roll 30 and extend outwardly therefrom to form an annular series of paddles located at the longitudinal location on the roll immediately above the drain outlet 20.

The angle at which the paddles extend from the roll is not critical and, for purposes of ease of fabrication,

ice

the inner ends of the paddles may be aflxed tangentially to the surface of the roll so that the paddles extend tangentially outwardly thereof as illustrated partially schematically in Figure 1. The paddles 40 may be mounted to just clear the drain outlet 20, as illustrated, or they may comprise resilient strips of metal or other material which are mounted so as to actually contact and be slightly displaced by the portion of the washing chamber deck surrounding the drain outlet 20. The paddles may be surrounded by a suitable screen guard 45 which will prevent any accidental contact of the paddles with ware to be washed.

It will be readily seen that when the roll 30 is at rest, any water within the washing chamber 10 will have ready paths of access to the drain outlet 20 between whichever paddles 40 are then adjacent to the drain outlet. However, when the roll 30 is driven at normal operating speed to throw water throughout the chamber 10, the paths to the drain outlet 20 are effectively closed by the barrier forming and impelling action of the paddles 40. When the roll, as seen iu Figure l, is rotated counterclockwise, drainage is prevented by the fanning action of the blades. When the roll is rotated in the opposite direction, the scooping action of the blades precludes drainage.

Thus it will be understood that retention of water within the washing chamber during rotation of the impeller 30 for washing or rinsing purposes, and automatic drainage of the water when such rotation stops, is inherent in my invention without the need for any automatic drainage controls or remote-controlled drain valve. Such valves frequently represent as much as six or seven percent of the cost of manufacture of impeller type washers since they must act positively and be sealed thoroughly against sump-water pressure and are therefore of elaborate, heavy and complex construction.

The teaching of my invention will suggest many various possibilities to those familiar with washer design, who will appreciate the savings realized by the provision of an impeller member constructed to retain water while rotating and to allow drainage when stopped. For example, in connection with impellers having a vertical axis of rotation, an impeller skirt may be provided having a series of shutter-like openings or simply a series of small orifices which exclude water during rotation but admit it when the impeller is stopped. Accordingly, the scope of my invention is not restricted to the specific embodiment described in detail herein but is to be deiined solely by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an automatic dishwasher, a washing chamber having a normal sump portion, a smooth roll extending transversely across said washing chamber, an upwardly opening drain outlet at the bottom of said chamber beneath said roll, an annular series of outwardly extending paddles positioned around said roll at the longitudinal location on said roll immediately above said drain outlet, said paddles generating a geometric solid of revolution upon rotation of said roll, said solid of revolution intervening between said washing chamber and said drain outlet and closing off said drain outlet from said washing chamber at normal water-impelling speeds of said roll whereby water supplied to said washing chamber will be retained therein during movement of said paddles past said drain outlet at normal water impelling speeds of said roll.

2. In an impeller type dishwasher, a washing chamber having a normal sump portion, an upwardly opening drain outlet at the bottom of said chamber, rotatable means within said chamber adapted to be rotated and to be stopped, said rotatable means comprising a smooth roll extending transversely across said chamber to propel upwardly water held in said sump, said rotatable means further comprising an annular series of paddles extending outwardly from said smooth roll at a longitudinal location thereon immediately above said drain outlet, said paddles generating a geometric'sold of revolution upon rotation of said roll, said solid of revolution intervening between said sump and said rain loutlet and closing off said drain outlet` from said sump at normal Water-impelling speeds of said -roll whereby when water held in said sump ceases to be propelled upwardly by said roll, it is allowed to ow to said outlet drain past said paddles.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Christensen July 17, 1923 Macabee Aug. 14, 1923 Stockham May 26, 1942 Carlstedt Nov. 13, 1951 Carlstedt July 22, 1952 Rumbangh Jan. 6, 1953 

